Indonesia's Aceh families struggle as floods leave villages in ruins

"Floods ravage villages, leaving thousands displaced in makeshift shelters with little aid. At just 20 days old, Muhammad Hafidz has already endured extraordinary hardship. He and his family are among hundreds of thousands displaced by devastating floods in Aceh Tamiang, where local authorities report all 300,000 residents have been affected by the disaster. Environmental groups attribute the severity to widespread deforestation, which has resulted in entire villages being washed away."

"Muhammad was receiving care in the neonatal intensive care unit when floodwaters struck. We were trapped in the hospital because the water kept rising. We had to evacuate to the second floor. We were trapped there in the hospital, alongside several dead bodies in the same room, his mother, Lia Minarti, said. After we left the hospital, we stayed in a makeshift shack. Three days ago, we received a tent."

"Aid distribution remains challenging across North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh province, with most displaced families sheltering under plastic sheets rather than proper tents from the national disaster agency. For Lia, protecting her newborn's fragile health has become a daily struggle. In the tent, it is extremely hot during the day. But if I take him outside, I'm scared of the dust. I don't know what to do because my baby has had breathing problems from the beginning, she said."

Severe flooding in Aceh Tamiang affected all 300,000 residents, displacing hundreds of thousands and washing away entire villages amid widespread deforestation. Many displaced families shelter under plastic sheets or makeshift shacks, with national disaster agency tents arriving too slowly. Neonatal patient Muhammad Hafidz and his family were trapped in a hospital as waters rose, forced to evacuate to the second floor and shelter beside dead bodies before moving to a shack and later a tent. Aid distribution across North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh province remains challenging. Lia Minarti reports daily struggles protecting her newborn's fragile breathing and having nowhere to return.

Read at www.aljazeera.com